What can we expect? Drop-in pitches are used at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the word is that the designated surface will be much greener than originally intended.

But it will not be as quick as the Waca, of that we can be certain. But nor will be it as slow as the pitch used recently when England played Victoria in a three-day match between the second and third Tests.

A slow bounce like that of a tennis ball is its usual characteristic, but bowlers of all types have prospered here. Mitchell Johnson’s match-winning spell in Perth was achieved through devilish late swing; the ball hardly swung during that state match.

Who might prosper? Interestingly, the in-form Johnson has already enjoyed a good game here this season, scoring 121 not out and taking 5 for 35 when Western Australia beat Victoria by 241 runs. In the same match Mike Hussey saved his Test place with 118 after recording a first-innings duck.

But spinners can also thrive as discarded left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty proved by taking 5 for 83 when Tasmania won here earlier in the season. Of course, it was here in 1994 that Shane Warne took his famous Ashes hat-trick of Phil DeFreitas, Darren Gough and Devon Malcolm.

The ball can also reverse swing, as it did in England’s state match, which might bring Ajmal Shahzad into England’s thinking.

Batsmen can also make big scores. Michael Vaughan made a magisterial 145 when England followed on in 2002. In the same match Justin Langer made 250 and Matthew Hayden 102.

What is England’s record there like? They have won 19 of their 53 Tests here, last winning in 1998 when Alec Stewart made a century and Dean Headley took a career-best 6 for 60, as Australia failed by 12 runs to chase 175 to win. They also won in 1986, 1982 and 1975. In 1982 there was a dramatic finale — the closest Ashes finish on Australian soil – when now-national selector Geoff Miller took a rebounded catch from Chris Tavare at slip to dismiss last man Jeff Thomson for England to win by three runs.

In 2006, after hailstorms had curtailed the Boxing Day’s play, England were thumped by an innings and 99 runs. They were dismissed for just 159 in their first innings with Warne taking 5 for 39, including his 700th Test wicket, that of Andrew Strauss in the first innings. Only Strauss of the current side found any sort of form, making 50 and 31.

In 1999 Gough took his rousing Ashes hat-trick of Ian Healy, Stuart MacGill and Colin Miller, but England still lost. In 1995, 1991 and 1988 there were draws.

And Australia’s? They have won 10 of their last 11 Tests against all countries here, only slipping up against South Africa in 2009 when they were trounced by nine wickets, with fast bowler Dale Steyn taking 10 wickets in the match.

Sydney

What can we expect? Traditionally spin. This is a pitch on which Allan Border’s lesser-spotted, darted left-arm spinners once took 11 wickets in a match, after all. It used to be Australia’s ‘Bunsen Burner’, but that is not necessarily the case any longer. When Australia somehow scraped past Pakistan here by 36 runs last year, they were bowled out for 127 on the first day by the seam and swing of Mohammad Asif. Nathan Hauritz did take five second-innings wickets, but the ball did not spin that much.

In a recent state match in which Ricky Ponting appeared for Tasmania, there were some glaringly low scores caused by seamers, with the home side New South Wales dismissed for 97 and then Tasmania responding with just 125.

In another Sheffield Shield match, there was spin, though, with current Test player Steve Smith taking eight wickets in the match with his leg-spin, and Hauritz chipping in with a second-innings 3 for 62 (having made 146 as a nightwatchman). Australia consider Hauritz too expensive, however, and rather flaky of character, reckoning he was reluctant to play in the deciding Oval Test of 2009 on a spinning pitch.

Who might prosper? Graeme Swann will clearly play his part, although, even if the pitch looks like spinning, England might be reluctant to play a second spinner in Monty Panesar. They feel it imbalances their side overmuch.

Ponting has scored more runs than anyone at the Sydney Cricket Ground; 1346 at an average of 64, with five centuries. Unsurprisingly Warne is the leading wicket-taker, with 64 at 28.

What is England’s record there like? England have won 21 of their 53 Tests here, most recently in 2003 when Andrew Caddick (in his last Test as it rather cruelly happened) produced figures of 7 for 94 on a crumbling pitch to secure victory by 225 runs. The Test, though, is probably better recalled for the theatre of Steve Waugh’s century, made from the very last ball of the second day, as he hit Richard Dawson for four to relieve mounting pressure over the future of his Test place. Poor old Vaughan too. He made a stunning 183, and Mark Butcher also hit a century.

In 2007 England were hammered by 10 wickets to complete a horrid 5-0 whitewash, as three Australian legends, Warne, Glenn McGrath and Langer, all retired. Langer was there at the end when the 46 runs were made for victory, but, almost overcome by emotion, did not hit the winnings runs. His partner Hayden did instead, smashing Sajid Mahmood for six to level the scores and then carving a single through the covers.

And Australia’s? Australia have won eight of their last nine Tests here, with a high-scoring draw against India in 2004.